Johnson using new pitches

Published 4:00 am, Saturday, April 4, 2009

San Francisco Giants' Randy Johnson works against the Oakland Athletics during the second inning of an exhibition baseball game Friday in San Francisco.

San Francisco Giants' Randy Johnson works against the Oakland Athletics during the second inning of an exhibition baseball game Friday in San Francisco.

Photo: Ben Margot, AP

Johnson using new pitches

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For the first time since taking the mound at Livermore High School in 1982, Randy Johnson pitched for a Bay Area team on Bay Area soil Friday night. But this wasn't the Randy Johnson who wowed batters in his teens and 20s and 30s.

Even early 40s.

This version of the Big Unit goes after batters with a different arsenal, a stream of fastballs in the low-90-mph range as opposed to the high 90s, which previously was his specialty. In fact, in his 2004 perfect game, he was hitting 97 into the ninth inning.

Johnson, 45, is fine, even at ease, with what he throws now, especially when he can locate his pitches as he did during five innings of Friday's 2-1 loss to the A's. He threw 72 pitches and allowed four hits, including doubles by Nomar Garciaparra and Travis Buck in the second inning that led to Oakland's only run on Johnson's watch.

"Go ask Nolan Ryan what he was throwing when he was 46 years old," Johnson said. "I saw him pitch his last game. No disrespect to him. We're pretty good friends. But you're 46 years old, you just don't throw that hard anymore.

"I have almost 4,500 innings. For me, it's obviously more of a challenge to get hitters out. When I'm done playing and look back, I'll say it was fun when I was throwing 98, but more of a challenge when I was throwing 91 to 93. I'm the majority now. I'm not the minority anymore."

Just like the old days, the opposition stacked its lineup with right-handers against Johnson with Jack Cust and Buck the exceptions. In the old days, Johnson would intimidate and overpower hitters with extreme heat, and now it's largely about location and smarts.

It's working. Johnson ended his spring training with a 2.20 ERA in five starts, and he collected 16 strikeouts in 161/3 innings. He also worked two minor-league games and missed two starts with biceps tendinitis.

On pitching at China Basin for the first time as a Giant, Johnson said, "I did see the benefits of pitching in this ballpark. Instead of giving up a home run (Garciaparra's double was off the left-field wall), I gave up a base hit. I can deal with that. In many ballparks, that's a home run. I'm already liking this ballpark."

When Johnson's not throwing 92 or 93, he's usually throwing sliders in the mid-to-high 80s. He struck out four A's: Rajai Davis looking at a fastball (93) and Matt Holliday (87), Bobby Crosby (86) and Buck (86), all whiffing on sliders.

In the clubhouse, the 6-foot-10 lefty is fitting in, making himself available to other pitchers in a rotation that includes 24-year-olds Tim Lincecum and Matt Cain and 26-year-old Jonathan Sanchez.

"He's been talking to a lot of the younger guys and trying to help us," said Zito, no longer the old man of the rotation at 30.

Johnson is just having a good time.

"This has been a good spring training," he said, "and one that I'll remember."